U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., visited the state Capitol on Wednesday, and state Sen. David Jordan, D-Greenwood, used the opportunity to press for more federal assistance for the Delta.
Jordan said Thompson and Republican U.S. Sens. Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker have helped the region a great deal in the past.
“We need a lot of things done in the Delta,” he said.
Jordan said no specific economic project was discussed with Thompson Wednesday. However, he said blues and heritage tourism should be promoted at all levels of government.
“There is a potential oasis for all of us here. ... The Mississippi Delta is the home of a lot of things,” he said, mentioning legendary bluesman B.B. King and renowned actor and former Greenwood resident Morgan Freeman.
In addition, economic development could be boosted by cooperation among Delta counties, Jordan said. Such a partnership among leaders in the Tupelo area helped land the Toyota plant near Blue Springs, he said.
“What if Leflore, Carroll and Sunflower went in together and built an industrial park?” he said.
Mayor Carolyn McAdams and the Greenwood City Council have made annual pilgrimages to Washington in pursuit of federal dollars since 2010.
Just this year, the city’s delegation, with the assistance of Thompson, Cochran and Wicker, recovered $441,000 in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers funding that had been “left on the table” after the replacement of the 24-inch force main under the Yazoo River came in under budget. Those funds will be used for the city’s new wastewater treatment plant, which is nearing completion.
McAdams said a similar trip to Washington during her first term as mayor resulted in the redirection of $1.4 million in funding, originally intended for a four-lane highway from Johnson Street to Mississippi 7, to the city’s new linear park.
Since then, a total of $3.6 million has been applied to the project, including a majority of funding from the Mississippi Department of Transportation.
Bill Crump, chairman of the Greenwood-Leflore-Carroll Economic Development Foundation, said, “I think our congressional delegation, both in the House and Senate, have been very helpful to the Delta over the years.”
He said such funding proved critical in securing an all-weather tower at the Greenwood-Leflore Airport a few years back.
“Having that kind of relationship is vital for our continued success,” he said.
Jordan said such partnerships are important on a host of issues, from addressing health care disparities to creating jobs. “If we build them up, we can benefit,” he said.
Greenwood City Council President Ronnie Stevenson said the relationship the city’s leaders have with the Washington delegation has been fruitful.
“I look forward to Congressman Thompson and our senators helping Leflore County,” he said.
• Contact Bob Darden at 581-7239 or bdarden@gwcommonwealth.com.
